Cable railway



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. ROOT.

CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 319,929. Patented June 9, 1885..

(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 2. 9

. CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 319,929. Patented'June 9, 18851 n4 PETERS. mmum n m, wumn rm 04 c.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.,

H. ROOT.

CABLE RAILWAY.

No. 319,929. Patented June 9, 1885.

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HENRY ROOT, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CABLE RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 3l9,929, dated June 9, 1885.

Application filed May 31, 1881.. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY Roor, of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Gable Railways; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in cable railways; and it consists in such a construction of the railway where curves occur that the car may be carried around the curve and at a less rate of speed than that at which it travels when upon the straight line.

Its object is to enable cars on such roads to pass around curves of ninety degrees or more with a radius now commonly used in cities with narrow streets nearly or quite at right angles with each other. This is effected by means of a short or subsidiary cable for each curve, this cable passing around sheaves at either end of the curve, and being driven by the main-cable sheave where it changes direction. The connection is such that the subsidi ary cable is driven at a rate of speed much less than that of the main cable, this rate be ing one at which it is practicable to move street-cars loaded with passengers around such short curves. The change of direction of the main cable is completed upon one large sheave, so as to reduce the wear upon this cable to a minimum.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of my invention, Figure 1 is a plan View of a street-corner, showing two tracks andaportion of the cable tubes or tunnels. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken through the line of the grip-slot in the roadway. Fig.3, Sheet 2, is an enlarged perspec tive view of a portion, showing the conical horizontal sheaves. Fig.4c is an enlarged section of the tunnel, one of the horizontal sheaves, and the grip. Figs. 5 and 6 are views of the mechanism for stopping and starting the subsidiary cable.

A A are two lines of track passing around a curve, which in the present case is shown as that formed by the junction or crossing of two streets at right angles, but which may be of any other angle.

Bis the slot through which the grip 0 passes from the car,to be connected with the rope at I upon the passengers.

will, this grip being of any of the ordinary or of any desired or suitable construct-ion.

At some distance before the curve is reached the main cable D passes over a vertical pulley, E, and from that point is gradually depressed below the grade of the tunnel, so that at the entrance of the curve it is already below it, and it continues on to the large sheave F, the face of which stands at the same angle to receive the cable. This sheave is exactly in the angle formed by the meeting of the lines upon which the cable travels on the'two streets, and the cable, passing onefourth (more or less) around it, leaves it in its new direction-and rises gradually again to its normal level in the cable-tunnel, ready to have cars connected with it again after they have passed the curve. This makes the whole change of direction of the cable upon one sheave, and reduces the wear of the cable and the number of moving parts to need attention to a minimum.

Experience proves that it is impracticable to move cars around short curves at the same rate of speed at which the cable should travel upon straight lines, as the sudden change'of direction would have an unpleasant effect I therefore employ a subsidiary cable, G, which may be driven at a slower rate of speed in the following manner: Passing around the curve, it is supported by horizontal sheaves H, having conical faces and flanges f at the lower edges,for a purpose to be hereinafter described. These sheaves sustain it in a line as nearly as possible beneath the grip-slot. At each end of the curve this cable G passes over vertical pulleys 0r sheaves I, and from there it is led to and around the sheaves J, one of whichis secured to the shaft of the large sheave F, while the other is so placed with relation to it that the cable takes a sinuous or S-shaped course in passing around them. This insures a suffi cient friction to prevent the cable from slipping, and enables me to drive it by the main cable as it passes around the sheave F.

The sheaves J are much smaller than the upon trucks K,which run upon rails or guides L, and are drawn backby a weight, M,similar to that shown by me in another application for a patent in connection with the main cable.

The tension of this subsidiary cable is much less than that of the main cable, as it has only to move one car around the curve at one time, while the main cable has the strain of all the cars which are running upon the various grades upon the whole line. The tension being so much less, it is easy to relieve the grip from side strain and prevent undue friction and wear in passing curves. The cable is short, not likely to get out of repair, and is easily and quickly replaced, when necessary, without disturbing the main line.

The horizontal sheaves H, by which this cable is supported around the curve, have conical faces, the bases of the cones being downward, so that when the cable is within the jaws of the grip it will be opposite the upper part of the conical face, and there will be sufficient space for the grip to travel without touching the sheaves.

When the cable is released from the grip,it may settle to the lower and larger portion of the sheave-face or to the flange f, and when in this position it is nearly or quite vertically beneath the gripping-jaws, so that they can easily pick it up atany pointin the curve if it should be dropped,as in stopping the car upon the curve. This gives perfect control of the car at all points, as the rope may be dropped and recovered at any point on the curve.

The tension being very tight, there will be but little side-play to the grip; but what there is may be relieved by means of rollers N, which are mounted upon the grip and run upon rails O on the inside of the cable-tubes, which act as guards to prevent the lower end of the gripper from being drawn in against the pulleys, and maintain the vertical position of the shank.

The operation will then be as follows: The track is curved slightly to one side just be fore reaching the main curve, to allow the grip to be thrown open and freed from the main cable. This may take place at anysu'itable distance from the entrance of the main curve-as fifty feet-and after the grip is opened the car will run on by its momentum until it arrives at a point where the grip may pick up the subsidiary cable, and the car be carried around the curve at a slower rate of speed. When the car leaves the curve, its momentum will again carry it on far enough to allow the grip to be disengaged from the subsidiary cable and pick up the main cable, so as to renew its journey in the new direction and at the usual rate of speed.

In cases where the cars pass very frequently the subsidiary cable may be, run constantly; but when the cars only pass at considerable intervals it may be found preferable to allow this cable to remain at rest during those intervals. If it does so remain at rest, it may be set in motion when the car approaches in any suitable or convenient manner. In the present case I have shown a device which is operated by the car itself. It is constructed as follows: The sheave J, around which the subsidiary cable passes, and which is driven by the main-cable direction-sheave F, may turn loosely upon the shaft and have a central disk, a, which'has holes made through it parallel with the shaft and around the periphery. A lever, 12, has its outer end hinged to a support or standard on top of the sheave F, while its inner end enters a slot in the central shaft, and is raised or dep'ressed'by apln, c, which extends down through the center of the shaft to the point-,and is pinned by the lever. passes down through the sheave F, and when the lever b is depressed this bolt will drop into one of the holes in the disk a,before mentioned, so as to lock the two together and cause the loose sheave J to revolve with the main sheave,thus setting the subsidiary cable in motion. The pin 0, by which the lever is raised, passes through a yoke, e, and has a head above the yoke, on which the yoke acts to lift the pin. The yoke e is raised or depressed by lever-arms f from a horizontal shaft, 9, which is rotated a short distance in either direction by a lever-arm, h, at one end, and this lever is moved by wire ropes, connecting-rods, or other suitable connecting devices, z', which lead from this point to levers k, so placed near the entrance of the curve at each end that they will be acted upon by the passing cars. A bellcrank lever, m, servesto change the direction of the connecting device '5 at the corner, as shown. By this arrangement the levers stand in the position which leaves the bolt d withdrawn from the holes in the disk a, and the subsidiary cable G is stationary. \Vhen the approaching car strikes the lever upon that side, it moves the leverconnecting device and the bolt-actuating mechanism, and thus drops the bolt d into a hole in the disk at and sets the cable G in motion. This motion continues until the car has passed the curve, when it strikes the other lever, and this actuates the mechanism to again withdraw the bolt and stop the cable G.

Other mechanical devices may be employed to effect the same result; but I do not confine myself in this respect to any especial device, the object being to start and stop the cable at the proper time.

I am aware that in mines cars have been propelled round curves by ropes traveling on sheaves arranged on a curved line, and that in mines cables have been made in sections, one section driven by a wheel on the same shaft as a wheel of different diameter of a different section, and that cars and boats have been transferred from one cable-driving section to another, and I do not claim these features as my invention.

I am also aware that it has been proposed to drive supplementary chains from the main cables of street-railways. My invention is dis- The lever has a stout bolt,'d, which IIS tinguished frornthis by the fact that in the construction devised by me the supplemental cable is so arranged and constructed, of the same materialas the main cable, that the same gripping device which connects with the main cable is also constructed and used to grip the supplemental cable without any transfer of 'position. Moreover, the supplemental cable is supported by the ordinary sheaves, whereasa chain requires special supporting devices.

I do not here claim the novel features herein set forth and not hereinafter specifically claimed, as the same constitutes the subjectmatter of another division of this application.

Having thus described my invention,-What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The main cable D, the main sheave F, the supplemental cable G, and the subsidiarycable sheave J, in combination with a clutch mechanism by which the two sheaves may be connected or disconnected, for the purpose set forth.

2. The fast and loose cable-sheaves F andJ upon a single shaft, and having a clutch mechanism by which they may be united or disengaged, in combination with the connecting rods or devicesi and the levers 7c, so placed as to be acted upon by the approaching and receding car, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, in a cable railway, of main and supplemental cables passing around sheaves or driving-wheels at difierent levels, and guide-pulleys whereby the working portions of both cables are maintained on substantially the same plane, substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination, in a cable railway, of a main cable extending beneath the straight or main portions of the track, and a supple- 4o mental cable extending beneath the curved portion of the track, and pulleys arranged to carry the working portion of the main cable away from the curve, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY ROOT. Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, FRANK A. BROOKS. 

